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Kris: Thanks to a very kind neighbour, I had a freshly caught Australian salmon to cook with. In a previous blog post, I hot smoked some Atlantic salmon using some Tasmanian Cascade hops. I thought I would do a different version of smoked salmon using some Tasmanian grown Topaz hops. I also came across a bottle of Tasmania’s newest Pear cider from Red Sails. They have planted a huge variety of heirloom cider and perry trees and are producing some awesome cider. I thought the perry would be a great match for my smoked salmon.

Kris: Instead of brining the salmon like last time, I simply smoked it for 15 minutes over a mix of mallee wood chips and topaz hops. I then seasoned it with salt and pepper, drizzled over some olive oil and baked it in some foil in a 160 C oven for 25 minutes.

Kris: I was brewing my first saison, so the smoked salmon was a perfect lunch time snack. While waiting for the fish to bake, I started preparing the spices for my home brew. I used some Tasmanian pepperberries, lemon myrtle and bush tomatoes and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Kris: I served the salmon with some Bruny Island O.D.O. (One day old) cheese and some fresh, crusty bread. I also made a simple salad from the garden with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.

Caroline: I love using Nasturtium flowers in salads! Not only are they delicious (peppery) but they are so beautiful. I think they make even the simplest salad look fancy. Not only are they delicious, but they are so easy to grow! Ours grow like weeds; we have to prune them back regularly just so they don’t take over the back yard. More facts about nasturtiums and some recipes here.

Kris: The Perry was a great match for the smoked salmon. It’s fine carbonation and dryness cut through the smoky richness of the salmon. It also complimented the cheese and the fresh bread. I will be keeping an eye out for some of the other ciders from Red Sails. The perry was one of the best I have ever tried.

Caroline: I really liked the Perry by itself. It was refreshing and fruity. However, I did not really like it with the smoked fish. I thought the fish brought out a lot of fruitiness in the cider (which I guess is a good thing) but to me this masked over the smoked salmon a bit, and I love me some smoked salmon so I don’t want anything overpowering it.

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Kris: It’s been a bit hectic lately, so it has been a while since posting on the blog.
We’re back!
It’s Autumn (Fall for Caroline) and eating Duck matched with some hearty ales is my favourite way to enjoy the crisp Tasmanian evenings this time of year. I am also starting to enjoy the fruits of my labour after busily homebrewing the last couple of months. I thought my Tasmanian IPA would be a great match for some homemade Duck Neck Sausage with Ale chutney.

Duck Neck Sausage and Ale Chutney

1 duck neck

1 duck breast

20g almond meal

20ml thickened cream

fresh sage

fresh oregano

2 garlic cloves

1 rasher bacon

3-4 walnuts

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 large potato

4 brussel sprouts

40g butter

2 ripe tomatoes

1 small brown onion

1 red chilli

100ml IPA

40g raw sugar

fresh parsley

Method

Thinly slice the brown onion

Fry on a medium heat in some olive oil until translucent

Add finely chopped chili and sugar

Cook for a few minutes

Add the beer and tomatoes

Season with salt and pepper

Simmer the chutney until thick (about 25 minutes)

Stir through some finely chopped parsley

Chill the chutney in the fridge

Chop the duck breast and blitz it in a food processor until minced

In a bowl combine the duck mince, almond meal, cream and a few chopped walnuts

Add some finely chopped sage, garlic and oregano

Add some finely diced bacon

Combine all the ingredients

Season well with salt and pepper

Cover and set aside

Remove the fat from inside the duck neck

Stuff the duck mince mixture into the duck neck

Make sure it is packed really tight with the mixture

Using toothpicks, seal up each end of the duck neck

(I left the sausage uncovered in the fridge overnight. It dried it out and makes the sausage more crispy)

Thinly slice a large potato

Preheat an oven to 200 C

Fry ther sausage on a medium heat until the duck skin is brown and crispy

Place the sausage in the oven and cook for 15 minutes

Fry the potatoes in the left over duck fat in the fry pan

Steam the brussel sprouts for 10 minutes

Refresh in ice water

Remove potatoes and fry the brussel sprouts in the butter and a clove of crushed garlic

Season the potatoes and brussel sprouts with salt and pepper

Let the sausage rest for a few minutes and slice thickly

Plate it up with the fried potatoes and chutney

Serve with a side of the brussel sprouts

Kris: I bought a whole duck and seeming it was such a nice day outside, I thought I would drink some of my IPA and carve up the duck.I removed the neck, the legs and breast. Make sure you have a sharp knife.I used one breast and the duck neck for this recipe. I am going to do Duck confit with the legs and the other breast. The rest of the duck I am going to roast and use in a Vietnamese style soup.

Kris: I am pretty happy with my home brew IPA. Its 6.5% and I used all Tasmanian grown hops. It has a good balance of biscuity malt and hop bitterness. I think I will dry hop it more next time to get a bigger, fruity hop aroma . It was a great match with the Duck Neck Sausage and Ale Chutney too.